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Ag trade deficit hit another record high in July
The U.S. agricultural trade deficit widened further in July, highlighting the challenge facing President Donald Trump as he vows to reverse the trend. Agricultural exports lagged imports by $4.97 billion in July, a gap 9% wider than a year earlier and the largest on record for the month. That pushed the sector’s deficit to an unprecedented $33.6 billion for the first seven months of the year, according to data released Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The widening farm trade gap...
GROWMARK applauds 199A extension
Farmers and cooperatives across the country are seeing some long-awaited tax clarity thanks to a key provision in the recently passed federal tax legislation. Chuck Spencer, Executive Director of Corporate and Government Relations at GROWMARK, says Section 199A for...
Iowa producers watching Prop 12 situation closely
Pork and egg producers across the country were paying close attention yesterday as the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing on California's Proposition 12. California voters passed Prop 12 in 2018 essentially banning the sale of conventionally raised pork and...
U.S. Export Sales Report (7-24-25)
Corn sales rebounded this week after a disappointing performance last week. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an analysis of this week’s numbers. McBride said bean sales looked weaker at first glance, but strength remained in the old crop numbers. McBride...
Farmland values remain firm at midway point of 2025
Despite challenges with the commodity markets and widespread uncertainty regarding profitability, farmland values are remaining steady at the midway point of 2025. Paul Shadegg, Senior Vice President of Real Estate with Farmers National Company, explains the economics...
Secretary Naig announces grants for 24 projects to bolster access to biodiesel, E15 in Iowa
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced that the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP) Board recently approved an additional 24 applications from Iowa fuel retailers to support new and expanded biofuel infrastructure projects. These investments...
Naig: Conservation, cooperation needed for Iowa water
Iowa agriculture has a responsibility to be a partner in protecting and improving water quality—not just for the benefit of rural communities, but also for our urban neighbors. That partnership was thrust into the spotlight earlier this summer when Des Moines Water...
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July 2025 brought historic rainfall to Iowa
After experiencing an already wet month in June, history would suggest that July would back off on the faucets a little bit. That was not the case this year, though, as Iowa experienced the second wettest July on record. Dr. Justin Glisan, state climatologist for...
USMEF applauds confirmation of new USDA Undersecretary for Trade
On Saturday evening, the U.S. Senate confirmed Luke Lindberg as USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs on a vote of 77-18. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom said there was strong bipartisan support in the...
USDA says farmland values up, cash rents stable
USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer says that USDA’s annual snapshot of farmland value and cash rents shows a slowdown in year over year growth. He expands on land values when breaking down the numbers for cropland and pasture values. Farm real estate value by state...
Secretary Naig announces start of construction on Middle Cedar watershed project
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that construction is starting on a “batch and build” water quality project in Tama and Grundy Counties. This project, led by Heartland Co-op, will include the installation of 14 saturated buffers and four...
Precision spraying expands on Iowa farm acres
Farmers and custom applicators are finding that using a mix of equipment is key to keeping up with the demands of modern crop management. For operations across Iowa, combining Hagie’s front-mounted boom sprayers with John Deere machines outfitted with See & Spray...
